Justice News

Cleveland Man Charged With Theft Of Government Property

A grand jury returned a one-count indictment charging Victor A. Fields, 57, with theft of government property, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The indictment alleges that Fields, of Cleveland, stole and converted to his own use $25,958 in Social Security payments made to a deceased payee.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Tripi, following investigation by agents of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.